Button cover



July 24, 1928. 1,678,265

' w. 1.. MYERS ET AL BUTTON COVER Filed Feb. 29, 1928 l/f'zWia/n Z. Mars 62 a/ye fl Harrison A TTORNEYS.

Patented July24, 1928. Q:

U TED STAT -s AT T .oF F c he a WILLIAM L; mYn nsgo nEwAnKhNn eEortGEnfnAnnIsonbEn En EvrLLE,nEw" JERSEY, AssIoNons'ro L. LnY ns, an, nc o n wnnx, nEw JERSEY, noon:

.IPORATIONOF NEW JI JRSEY,

H i (RI E f 4 Application filed February 29,1928. Ts riaino. 257,893.

This invention-relates to an improvedicon-- struction of shield to cover the button on a shoe strap; andhas for itsobject to provide such a device which preferably comprises an ornamental body member having'a cross bar on its back between whichi'and the body the strap is [threadedflhedevice also having means for releasablyengaging parts to hold the cover member in workingposition to cover the button. I 1

A further object of he invention is the provision of aresilient member or members mounted on the cross-bar of'the buttoncove'r spring fingers. j

for gripping the button when the coveris slid along the shoe strap overthebuttonto prevent the cover from accidentally working back along the strap to expose the button by the action ofthe footin'the shoe. 1

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, aswill be more'fully described, and particularly pointedoutin the appended claims.

i In the accompanying drawings: 3

A Fig.,1 is a perspective view of-a ladys shoe showing our improve'dbutton guard or cover, inposition on a shoe strap 1 Fig. 2 is a sectional elevationshowing the yieldable means as engaging the shankfportion of the button to hold the cover member in adjusted positionflover the button. Fig.3 shows the cover device asslid back along the .shoestrapfto .relea'sethe button permitting the strap end tobe unbuttoned and released.

Y V Fig. 4 is a view ofthe cover member showing the cross-bar with the slot guarded by Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

'Fig. :6 is a greatly enlarged view showing the shank of the button as entering the mouth of the slot and spreading the spring gripping fingers as. it passes between them.

' 7 shows the shank of the button as having'passed through the mouth of the slot and the springfingers as having closed the mouth to guard theentrance. 1 l

Fig. Sis a greatly enlarged sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. "Z, showing the slot in the cross bar before being closed for receiving and retaining the inner endslof the spring fin ers. l

fF-i asfiowe meant as having been closed t-ion and showing one emeteries artisans uponathe. spring fingers-to rigidly retain the Fig. l0=isa sectionon line 10-10 ofiFig.

samev therein; J

Tshowing the slot. before beingclosed and in which the free .end .of.. the spring finger is slidablyretained.

Fig: 11 shows the bosses ashaving been turned inwardly to close the slot and permit a free'movement of the free endof its spring finger therein. i s Fig. 121s a viewof oneof the "spring fingers removed. .1 I it I 1 1 Fig. 13;is amodification showing the under side of a button cover "with an engaging member supported mule crossbar and being formed of'wirebent inloop' form.

Fig. 14 is central section through the structureshowninFig; 13. i r

I Fig. 15 is another modification showing a sectional side elevation of the body of the cover member with its edge rolled under to engage the end of the "strap onwhichdt slides to lock it in button' covering position. I Fig. 16 is a view of the under sideof the body" member showing the rolled lip as forming ap'ocket into which theend or the stra I extends to prevent inadvertent work ing 'ack of the bodyto expose the button. 1

Itisfound in practice in the construction of {a guard or button-covering device, for shoe strapsr of advantage to provide some meansfin this cover-member whereby "itis held in positionjtocoverjthe button and pre vent it from working baclralong the strap by action of'the footwhile walking to' expose the button; and one way to accomplish this is t'o provide a crossbar 0111 the cover on which is supported a button'gripping de- 'vic'e having a relatively deep slot 'orrecess 'intowhich the shank portion ofthe button is adapted to fit, this slot being provided with oppositely-disposed spring members between which the shank of the button is forced when passed into the slot co-grip the shank and i retain the cover-member in position "over the button,while in other instances the body member may be'provide'd with a rearwardly turned; edge to engagethe end of the strap and in this way prevent the coverfroin working back when positioned to cover the button, and the following'isa detailed description of the present embodiment of our invem advantageous.

' of thisbody member VVB have formed a cross bar 1 14 which has -downwardly-turned ends 1'5 soldered to the opposite edges of the-body member and by these ends is raised'from' the body member sufficiently-to permit the passage of the shoe strap-1O bet-ween the cross bar and the body,- these turned :inends of the bar being spaced to frictionally-engage the side edges of the strap but perr'nittingithe 3 body to be slid along the same. a I e This cross-bar membenmay-be made in any suit-able form but We have herein shown one form as being considerably. wider at its mid dle point and this widenedport-ion asebeing slottedsasa-t 16, to receive the shank portion 17 of the button 12 and in'thisrslot we have mounted a pairofspring fingers 18 .on'e'on either-side thereof preferably formed ofwire one end 19 of each of these Wires extending into a recess 20, eachiofflwhich isprovided middle loop 29 of the W being so formed as with raised lips 21 on its opposite, edges. The" lips of eachslot areturnedfovei and swag'ed down tightly onto theend portion of its wire, as illustrated in- Fig. 9, to secure each of these ends rigidly in itsqrespec-tive slot and these ends niaybe also brazed o'r soldered or otherwise secured in position if desired. -The outer endsl22 ofthese Wires are each turned outwardly to extend into their respective slots23, the edges-of which slots areeach also provided fwith; li p's 2t which are turned downwardly, as best illustrated in. Fig. 11, over the end 2201: thew-ire so as not to: grip the wire butxto permita free endways movement thereof, whereby the outer ends of these spring finge1's1. wl1icl1 guard the moutlr 25 of 'the slotl6 maybe separated upon engagement; wi'tlnthe' button shank and permit this shank to= enter-the slot and so retain the guard or cover member in position over the button head; :1

In other instances, it isalso foundof advantage ,to form .this button-gripping -member 28 of a length of wire folded into substantially W-form,-"as best illustrated, in Figs. 13 and 14, in which casethe ends 26 are swaged into recessesformed inthe; cross bar 27 in the manner illustrated in Figs. Sand 9, or these ends may be soldered, brazed or otherwisesec'ured to this bar, the

to provide a deep slot or recess having a narrow mouth through which the shank 17, of thbutton may pass by springing the guarding arms apart after passing through the niouth into' the slot is releasably held therein by. the; inherent spring of the wire side arms forn'iing' the slot. q

In still other cases, we'inay roll or otherwise lextend portions of the forward edge 30 of tlie cover body 31 over rearwardly as illus- 'ptr atediin Figs 15 and 16to extend over the end 32 of the strap 33 and so retain the cover member. from" inadvertently sliding back alongzfthe strap to expose thebutton' after having been positioned to{ cover the same, I Our improved button guard or cover member isvery "simple in its construction and practicalzin its operation and by its construc-; tion: it may bereadily mountedupon andslid' along the, strap into position to coverthe' button-,theshankportion of the button bespring members" on the cover to retainthe same inposi-tion overthe button and to be slid'back along the strap to expose the button: and permitthe unbuttoning of the strap when desired; 1 I I -:Theforegoing description is directed solely towards the [construction illustrated, but we desire it;.to be'funderstoodgthat wereserve the privilege o f resorting toallthe mechaniing preferably grippediand. held by the cal changesto' which the device is susceptible,

the invention being defined limited only by th'e terms .of thesappended claims.

Vs claim: I 1. A button cover for, shoestraps, comprising an; ornamental cover ,member having 3; crossbar on its-back between which and the cover the strap is threadechsand means carried zbyf; said cover for. releasably retaining 'thesame inadjusted.position over the utt n. y c:

2. A button cover for. shoe straps, con1- prising. an ornamental body member having crossbar on its back between hicliand f the, body the strap.v is tlireaded, said bar. carrying resilient parts arranged tofgrip the button when the cover is slid thereover. 3'.-A-..butto1r cover,;for shoe straps, comprising abody member having across-bar on' its back between which and the body the; strap -is .threaded, said bar carrying resilient wire button gripping-parts forming a recess with a contracted enteringmouth, members guardingthe mouth ofthe recess .to ,fleXe-and; frictionally permit the passage of-nth e b utton mama out of therecess.

4;A-buttoncovering! slide for shoe straps, i

comprising abody member having aicrossbar. onitsback, said bar having-a pair of spaced r gid fingers, yielding, parts guarding passage of portions ofthe button into and out of said space.

1 .5-1 A button .cover for shoe, straps,,com-

prising a body member having a slotted saidspaceto flex-and frictionally permit the cross-bar on its back between which and the body the strap slidably extends, a pair of spring arms guarding said slot, the inner end portion of said arms being fixed and the outer portions being yieldable to flex and grip portions of the strap button to friotionally retain the cover over the button.

6. A' button cover for shoe straps, comprising a cover member through which the strap is passed, and retaining means carried by the said cover and adapted to automatically look the same in an operative posi tion on the strap.

In testimony whereof We aflix our signatures.

WVILLIAM L. MYERS. GEORGE D. HARRISON. 

